Lifting device for twin-jaw car-couplings



(No Model.)

T. L. MoKEI-JN. LIFTING DEVICE FOR TWIN JAW GAR COUPLINGS.

7708277 diam Patented Apr. 12, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

THOMAS L. MGKEEN, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., AssIeNoR TO THE THURMON one COUPLING COMPANY, or WEST VIRGINIA.

LIFTING' DEVICE FOR TWIN-JAW CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,627, dated April 12, 1892.

Application filed July 13, 1891.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MCKEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at N ew York, in the county of New York and State of: New York, have invented certain new and use-j f ul Improvements in Lifting Devices for Twin-1 J aw Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to adjustable devices for lifting thelocking pin or lock in the various kinds of twin-jaw couplers of the master-carbuilders type.

Since oneuniform standard of coupler has been adopted on the various roads in the country and the lift of the lock for the various couplers most in use varies materiallyas an illustration being approximately one and three-eighths inches for the Gould, two and one-half inches for the Thurmond, threeinches for the J anney, and three and one-half inches for the Standard, couplers and otherswhen one coupler is to be replaced by another it becomes necessary to put on a new liftingchain and bracket to suit the new coupler. My invention isintended to do away with the necessity for these changes and to substitute for the various types of lifting bars, brackets, &c., in use a standard lifting device which may be readily adapted to all forms of twin-jaw couplers now commonly in use.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a freight-car, showing my improved and clevis E, to the lock a. The said turn.-

Serial No. 399,303. No model.)

. buckle is composed of an H-shaped link 0,

with one end closed and having a female screw-thread cut therein, as shown in Fig. 2. The other end is also closed by a pin 0, held in place by a cotter c. This pin secures the upper end of the turn-buckle to the arm 6 on the lifting-rod. The screw-bolt O connects the lower end of the turn-buckle to the clevis E, connected to the look a.

When it is desired to adapt the lifting-chain to a new coupler, take out either the pine or the pin (2 and twist the screw 0 to the proper position in the link 0. i The sides of the link 0 may be graduated by lines 0 0 1: c 0 &c. Instead of a screw 0' a smooth bolt C (shown in Fig. 3,) having holes 0 for a cotter, 1nay be adopted in order to obtain the adjustability in length required.

D represents the bracket, made generally similarto the outer one described in my patent, No. 447,57 8, granted March 3, 1891, except that the shelf or lifting-face d of said bracket is longer and has a greater slope. The said lifting-face may also be corrugated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, to better hold the arm b of the lifting-bar. This lifting-face cl slopes both toward the edge d of the bracket and toward the base at of the same, causing the armb next to the handle 19 0f the liftingbar B to hang at a greater or less angle in proportion to the distance it is slid on the said lifting face or shelf. By marking this face at with parallel lines or stamping them in any way-for instance, Gould, Thurmond,

Janne Standard as shown in Fi 4- y Y 3 b the proper position of thearm b in lifting may be determined. The angle of vertical slope of d andthe marks for each style of coupler may be readily calculated, for the length of the arm I) multiplied by the sine of the angle through which that arm is moved is approximately equal to the lift on the lock, and since the arms 17 and b are rigidly attached to or integral with the bar B then the arm I) must also move through thesame angle with the arm b. If the arm I) be eight and one-half inches long and a lift of two and onehalf inches be required, as for the Thurmond coupler, then the vertical angle of the face (I where marked for the Thnrmond coupler should be the angle whose natural sine is .2923, or seventeen degrees, since 2.5 5 20 8.0 sine L sine L: :.2923,

or an angle of seventeen degrees. This angle may be readily measured on the face (Z with a templet.

The operation of my device is as follows: Having adjusted the screw 0 or bolt 0 to, say, the position 0 as for the Thu rinond coupler, and secured the turn-buckle in position, lift up on the handle 11 and slide the bar B along, so that the arm I) may be over the position marked 'lhurinond on the slope (Z, when slack down the said handle until the said arm rests on the said slope and the right lift will be obtained.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device for lifting the locks of twinj aw couplers, an adjustable connection between the lifting-bar and the lock, consisting of the combination of an H shaped link closed at the lower end and having a bolt-hole passing therethrough, a pin connecting the upper end of said link to the lifting-bar, an adj ustable eyebolt passing through the said bolthole, and a clevis connecting said eyebolt to the lock, substantially as described.

2. In a device for lifting the locks of twinjaw couplers, the combination, with the lock and lifting-chain, of a lifting-bar having two arms approximately at right angles to each other, the one arm adapted to engage the lifting-chain and the other arm carrying the handle and adapted to be supported by a projection on the car, and a bracket near said second arm, having a shelf or face sloping both to the outer side of the bracket and downward and furnishing a wedge-like support of varying angularity for the said arm, substantially as described.

3. In a device for lifting the locks of twinjaw couplers, the combination, with the look a, of the clevis E, adjustable eyebolt C, link O, pin 0, lifting-bar B, having arms I) and Z), and the bracket D, having sloping face (I, substantially as described.

4;. In a device for lifting the locks of twinjaW couplers, the combination, with the lock a, of the clevis E, adjustable eyebolt 0, link 0, having graduations c c 0 &o., pin 0, lifting-bar B, having arms I) and b, and the bracket D, having sloping face (Z, with vertical graduations' thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN. Witnesses:

T. W. GETMAN, M. O. IIASCALL. 

